Making MeaningsThe Passionate Shepherd to His LoveThe Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd

First Thoughts:Q: Rate the shepherd and the nymph on the persuasiveness of their arguments, using a scale of 0 to 10 (with 10 being most persuasive). Be ready to justify your ratings.A: The Shepherd’s side of the argument isn't all that persuasive since much of what he offers he can’t afford or give. The Nymph on the other hand is rather persuasive, largely in part to the fact that she calls out the shepherd on his lies and reminds the shepherd of his harsh reality. Therefore I give the Shepherd a 0, and I give the Nymph a 10. Shaping Interpretations:Q: Describe the life that the shepherd envisions with his love. How will they be dressed? How will they spend their time?A: The Shepherd envisions a pastoral world with his love. He tells her sweet, nice, and pretty things so that the two of them will be together. He says they will wear caps of flowers, and a dress embroidered all with leaves of myrtle, gowns made out of the finest wool, fair lined slippers, buckles of the purest gold, belts of straws and ivy buds, coral clasps and amber studs. The Shepherd is going to show her all the wonders of the valleys, groves, hills, fields, woods, mountains. He said that they would also sit on rocks and watch the farmers tend to their animals, where the songbirds sing by the stream. Q: In pastoral writing, the harsh realities of country life do not exist. Which details of the shepherd’s description seem distinctly idealistic? What realistic, gritty details of a shepherd’s life can you imagine?A: When the Shepherd starts talking about fair lined slippers with buckles made out of the purest gold it started to be distinctly idealistic, otherwise he was being moderately idealistic and realistic. A rather hard, dull life, where the lands are harsh, and the winters are even harsher. Q: In her reply, what flaws does the nymph find in the shepherd’s idyllic vision? What are her conditions for living with him? A: The Nymph finds in the Shepherd’s idyllic vision flawed in a multitude of ways. For starters, she starts off by pointing out that winter is approaching which would make him bring in his sheep out of the fields and drive the songbirds away. It would freeze the streams and chill the rocks and earth. Even with all the nice clothes the Shepherd promised to give wouldn't mean anything if she were to be cold and miserable while wearing them.

The conditions she places are completely idyllic. She says that if the world would stay spring and summer all year long, if everyone was young, and if she was given all the the Shepherd promised her originally than she might go live with him and be his love.

Q: What is the tone of the nymph’s reply?A: The tone in which the Nymph replied was cold, harsh, and sarcastic. It was cold and harsh because she shot the Shepherds offer down like a shot, and said that only when the conditions of her completely idyllic world were met would she consider moving in with him and be his love. However that Eden-like setting will never happen so all is hopeless for the Shepherd.

Questions of Thought.

Why would a shepherd promise to give such great and generous material gifts to a girl when both the shepherd and the girl know that he cannot afford such items?

After the rejection of the Nymph, how do you think the Shepherd must feel?

Do you feel that the Nymph is a "bad guy" since she rejects the Shepherd so easily?

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